Gillespie To Stand Down As Cheltenham Md

Edward Gillespie, who was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sport Industry Awards 2011, has announced his decision to stand down from the day-to-day management at Cheltenham Racecourse after 32 years in charge as managing director of the Gloucestershire venue.  

Gillespie has run Cheltenham Racecourse since the age of 27 in one of the longest tenures in British sport. He will continue in his position until a successor is appointed and then complete a full handover period. 

He will also act as a consultant to Jockey Club Racecourses on various projects, including the next stage of development at Cheltenham Racecourse – currently undergoing a feasibility study.
 
In 2012, The Festival at Cheltenham attracted its largest ever attendance of 236,700 people over the four days. This crowd figure was 13,700 higher than 2011 and over 10 percent up on the number who attended in 2009.
 
Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns Cheltenham Racecourse, will now launch an internal and external recruitment process to attract a successor to Gillespie from within the racing, sport and leisure industries.
 
Edward Gillespie said: ‘It has been a privilege to manage Cheltenham for 32 years and striving for the continued success of this special place has been at the centre of everything I have done in that time. Gold Cup Day this year was my 100th Festival day in charge and it was extremely satisfying that it also marked our highest ever attendance, as the climax of a tremendous season at the Racecourse.’
 
‘I’m 60 years old in July and, while part of me feels I could carry on forever, I’m conscious that my sporting heroes have bowed out at the top of their game, carrying their bats so to speak. I’ve been here for a long time, so I’d love to get involved in other projects within sport or business in the last few years of my career.’
 
‘While I’ve managed my last Cheltenham Festival, I’m in no rush; I will continue in my current position until my successor is appointed and then support him or her for as long as it takes to achieve the smoothest transition for the Racecourse.’
 
‘We’ve built a great team at Cheltenham who will ensure the racecourse goes from strength-to-strength, as it has always done as part of The Jockey Club. During my tenure, more than £80m has been invested here, including £20m in the last decade. I will also continue to be involved in planning the next stage of development at Cheltenham on a consultancy basis. I’ll miss very much working with my colleagues and also looking after our customers, who have made Cheltenham the sporting Mecca it is today. Soon I will be an ordinary Cheltenham racegoer and I think that’s a great thing to be.’

On receiving his Award at last year’s Sport Industry Awards ceremony, Gillespie said: ‘I am honoured to be receiving this special award, particularly in a room full of so many talented people from across the Sport Industry, but I really do feel that this is a recognition of the talented and industrious people with whom I’ve worked over the last 30 years at Cheltenham. The sport of horse racing is one that I care passionately about and much of what has been achieved during my time at Cheltenham has been due to the brilliance of generations of horses, jockeys and trainers, who provide the magical spectacle that appeals to so many people. It has been a privilege to go to work every day and to have the strong support of The Jockey Club and the wider racing industry over more than three decades in the sport.’

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